


Just One More Try

by taotruths



Series: Makoto Niijima Week 2018 [1]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Arcades, F/M, Humor, Not Shipping Focused, Post-Canon, SEGA Arcades, UFO Catcher, claw machine, for once
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-17
Updated: 2018-09-17
Packaged: 2019-07-13 17:40:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16022765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taotruths/pseuds/taotruths
Summary: Day 1: BuchimaruUFO Catchers can be addictive, especially if there's a certain prize in mind. Next thing you know, Makoto has spent over 2000 yen on one.





	Just One More Try

**Author's Note:**

> Ever since coming back from my trip from Japan, I’ve had this idea in the back of my mind for the better of three to four months. Turns out it ties into Makoto Niijima Week, and it’s first theme quite nicely.
> 
> Because I have been in this position three times when I was there, and spent a lot of yen on those things.
> 
> Enjoy~

A claw pulled on the bottom of a cute little panda doll, carrying it upwards, before it quickly slipped through it’s grip, causing the entire body to fall on it’s side.

Makoto slumped against the machine, her hands pressing against the glass. Grinding her teeth, she stared fiercely into the contents of the infernal device. Staring back at her, in an almost mocking tone, were the two cute, beady little eyes of a familiar panda bear at the back of the machine. Her hands then balled into fists, her head then hanging low. Behind her, was Ren, holding a plastic bag that had the SEGA logo emblazoned on it. He then held out a bottle of water to her.

“Hanging in there okay Mako?” he asked. The president saw his gesture, and stood up properly, accepting the drink.

“You’ve been trying for the last twenty minutes. I don’t even know if progress has been made.” He said with a bit of concern. As soon as Makoto finished her bottle, she shook her head, eyes stern.

“Then that would be twenty minutes of my time down the drain, and someone else able to claim the prize thanks to me.” she then crushed the bottle in her hand, tossing it into a nearby recycling bin. She then opened up her coin purse, looking at what remained inside.

“I’m not letting my 2000 yen go to waste here.” This statement made Ren’s eyes bug out, causing him to choke on his water.

“ **2000?!** I thought you said it was 1000!” he coughed in shock.

“That was ten minutes ago.” she said nonchalantly.

“Wow, what a freaking noob!” cackled an approaching voice. The two of them looked to their left, seeing the carrot head pulling in three or four similar SEGA emblazoned bags.

“I got you like, all of the other Buchi panda thingies on the other side of the room, and you’re still trying to get this one?” she asked with a raised eyebrow. Ren peeked into the other bags Futaba placed onto the floor next to them, while the two girls got back to the machine.

“Oh my god, did you really let it fall over like that?” Futaba asked, pointing at the state the prize was in. The Buchimaru doll that Makoto was trying to get was normally was standing tall, just like the others in the machine, but the one that she had aimed at had tipped over, a result of her earlier attempts. The doll had ended up face down in between the two rods that were holding it in place, and as a result, could not be scooped up.

“Do you need me to get someone to reset the position?” Ren asked out loud. Makoto shook her head. She then looked back towards her boyfriend, holding up three fingers.

“All I need is one more try!”

“Your fingers betray what you’re saying.” Ren snarked back. Rolling her eyes, Makoto took out three coins, a hundred yen each, inserting them into the machine. The machine’s jingle started up again, causing Futaba to sport a shark like smile.

“No lie, she’s going to get it in these next three tries.” she said, rubbing her palms together. Ren simply blinked, putting a finger to his chin, and started studying the machine’s layout.

Makoto’s first try, she positioned the left prong to be right above the buchimaru’s face. The claw opened, the descended, with the left prong pushing down on the head of the doll, causing it to now be supported only by its behind, and the two bars. Ren snapped his fingers in realization.

“I see! Makoto might have accidentally caused it to be stuck between the bars...but now she has a chance to just push it down, since the prize can be claimed this way!” Futaba looked back at Ren in disdain.

“This seriously cannot be your first time doing a UFO Catcher.”

The second attempt had the claw right above the plush doll. But when it opened and lowered itself, it only managed to wrap itself around the target, not even moving it.

_One last shot._

A small crowd had gathered around Makoto’s machine, with other players stopping by to see which person had stepped up to the plate and win the latest in a series of prizes that were provided.

The claw descended slowly in her eyes. The open prongs touched the bottom of the doll.

In that moment, the left claw pushed on touched the bottom.

And the doll gracefully fell through the bars.

_**“CONGRATULATIONS!”** _

The machine buzzed loudly, with many of the other people who were watching congratulating Makoto for a job well done as she claimed her prize. The Buchimaru doll in question was quite different than usual, where on its head, was a bit of frazzled messy black hair, along with a pair of cute tiny glasses on its nose. She cuddled the doll, Ren putting an arm around her shoulder.

“Looks like a certain charming, debonair boyfriend of yours, eh Mako?” he said with a grin.

Makoto simply rolled her eyes, where at the same time, one of the employees nearby gave her a single postcard that had Buchimaru’s face on it. Thanking the employee, she then put the doll in one of the bags that Futaba had gotten for her, and started walking towards the entrance.

“What a wonderful day! I got a bunch of Buchi-kun merchandise thanks to you and Futaba-”

“I barely did anything.” Ren remarked with a sheepish smile.

“I can show all of this all to Eiko-chan so we can share this together-”

“Btw, you owe me like, 3000 yen for all the stuff I helped you get today.” Futaba interrupted, swinging her arms back and forth.

"And I got the biggest-” Makoto stopped mid sentence, as she then saw to her left, a familiar set of silver hair, also playing one of the UFO catchers.

“SIS?!” Makoto’s cry managed to break the woman’s concentration, and the claw descended earlier than intended. Turning around, the woman revealed herself to be Sae, who was blushing a bit in embarrassment.

“Oh! Makoto, I...didn’t realize you would be around this part of town, heheh…” Sae tried to cover up what prize she was aiming for, but Futaba already zipped in to see.

“Ohhh! A Featherman statuette huh? And it’s the Buchimaru crossover palette too!” Sae covered her face in embarrassment, while Makoto just smiled.

“I guess these interests are inheritable in a way, huh?” Sae raised an eyebrow at her sister, until she saw the bags that she had brought with her, full of various Buchi-kun merch. She smiled, where she then turned around, seeing Futaba pulling out a 500 yen coin.

“I can get this one easily, just sit tight there Sae.” As she said that, Sae pulled out her own 500 yen coin, inserting it quickly.

“Oh no you don’t. This one is for Makoto!” she shouted, causing Makoto and Ren to laugh a bit at the competitive nature between the two. They both then ran up to the machine, where the four of them collectively tried to help get the crossover statuette.

It certainly took more than one try, but the experience; it was its own reward.

**Author's Note:**

> And that wraps up this theme for Makoto Niijima Week. Sorry if this one seems a little bit rushed, but I hope you all still enjoyed it.
> 
> I certainly spent quite a bit of money on those freaking UFO Catchers...and I want to go back and do it all over again.


End file.
